Weather Birds High

The novel is set in the Cape Colony at the tip of the African continent in the early 1800s.  It is a time of slavery in the Cape, of vast open wilderness where only the strongest – or often, the most ruthless – survive.  Beyond the borders of the Colony lies freedom for many, but the price of that is usually too high for most. It is a world dominated by a harsh, unforgiving climate, marauding bands of escaped slaves, of armed bands feeding off those weaker than themselves. To a woman, it is not a place in which to build dreams of a future. Yet, it is exactly this world which draws Hanna to it, where she must overcome a myriad of challenges in order to make her mark. And, to protect those who have chosen her to lead them. It is a world where she finds new strengths within herself, and new love. Leading a group of slaves who can no longer tolerate their master’s cruelty, Hanna flees the Colony and heads north, only to be threatened by internal conflict within the group itself, and then by her ex husband who is now a leader of a group of bandits. After many tribulations the remnants of the group settle at a spot near the present-day Augrabies Falls, an area characterised by a unique breed of alpine swift, known by the local inhabitants as the weather birds.  Because changes in air pressure cause them to screech and fly high in search of insects forced upwards by approaching fronts, they are considered a herald of changing weather.  To Hanna they become a symbol of the changes the future holds for her and her people. It is there where Hanna must again find the strength to not only build, but also to protect. As her people grow in confidence, and others arrive to support her, Hanna must constantly fight to overcome the threats which face her, and then to surrender to the love which seeks her out.

Download the first 5 chapters here.

Available as a Kindle book.

REVIEWS
4.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting
Bydrjoybugon June 30, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I loved the twists and turns in this book. some characters, however were not fully developed.
it was hard to put down.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Sherriff masterpiece!
ByKimon December 26, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Every word masterfully crafted leads the reader through the earlier years in South Africa. Historically relevant engaging page turning must read.

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